Holding and releasing mechanism for brake-shafts.



No. 841,091. v PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907. ,A. MILLER.

HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR BRAKE SHAFTS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR.3,1906\.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

[NVENTOR Attorney PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

A. MILLER.

HOLDING AND EELEASING MECHANISM FOR BRAKE SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR BRAKE-SHAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 8, 1907 Application filed pril 8, 1906. SerialNb.309,604.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Holding andReleasing Mechanism for Brake-Qhafts, of which the following is a secification.

My invention re ates to improvements in pawl holding and releasingmechanism for brake-shafts. H 7

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism of this characterwhereby the pawl is readilymoved in or out of engagement with theratchet carried by the brakeoperating shaft for releasing the same atany time without moving the said shaft, which is usually necessary inbrakes of the character to which my mechanism is to be applied.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more sim le and effectivemechanism to accom lish t e above results without affecting t e usualoperation of the brakeshaft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved pawl-operating mechanism in combination with the ordinarybrake-shaft as applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a to plan view showing theratchet-operating ever in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical sectional view taken on the line as a: of Fig.2; and Fig. 4 isa sectional View similar to that shown in Fig. 3, with the pawl-carryingmember thrown rearwardly and the pawl disengaged from the ratchet-disk.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the platform or the topof acar, according to the character of the car to which my device isapplied, and 2 is the ordinary rotary brake-operating shaft, which hasat its upper end a wheel or crank for operating the same and the lowerend having the usual chain connection with the brake mechanism.-Adjacent to said shaftv the platform or top, whichever it might be, isprovided with an inverted-U-shaped frame 3, which is provided with anoutwardly-extending arm 4, forming a bearing for the shaft 2 The saidshaft' above the arm 4 is provided with a ratchet-disk 5, having on itslower face ratchet-teeth 6. The said invertedUshaped frame has its upperend in a line with the upper face of the ratchet-disk, and pivotedwithin said frame intermediate its ends at 7 is a pawl-carrying member8, said member being adapted-to roclgfreely upon said pivot. The upperend ofsaid pawl-carrying member extends upwardly adjacent to the up orend 9 of, the frame 3, the said upper en of the pawl-carrying memberbeing and intermediately pivoted within said bi-' furcated end is a pawl11, normally in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-disk. Theopposite end of the pawl 11 is weighted at 13 to hold the pawl in saidengaged posi tion. member, as will be clearly seen, will move the pawlout of engagement, with the ratchetteeth, and in order to prevent thepawl from moving upwardly beyond the ratchet-disk I provide the upperend 9 of the U-shaped frame with a beveled face or plate 14, againstwhich the pawl rides and by means of which the pawl is guided in itsproper position to engage the ratchet-teeth.

The platform or top of the car, whichever ifurcated at 10,

The rocking of the pawl-carryingthe case may be, adjacent the frame 3 isprovided with the two bearings 15 and 16, in which is journaled a shaft17. The sald shaft intermediate the journals is rovlded with the doublecrank 18, to whic is con-.

nected in the usual manner the pitman 20. The opposite end of saidpitman 20 is bifureated at 21 and is adapted to receive an ear 22,carried by the lower end of the ratchetcarrying member, the said pitmanbeing pivotally connected to said ear by means of a pivot 23, the saidear being on a line with the double crank when the same is in ahorizontal position, and the pitman is thus on a dead-center and willhold the pawl-carrying member in its locked position with the pawlengaging the ratchet-teeth of the disk, and thus pressure exerted uponthe pawl cannot move the pawl-carrying member. The shaft 17 extendsbeyond the bearing 15 and has secured thereon the operating-lever 24,which extends in a direction opposite to that of the crank, but paralleltherewith. The U- shaped frame is provided with an outwardlyextendinglug orarm 25, which is in the path of travel of the lever 24 and limitsthe forward and downward movement thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the lever 24 isdown upon the lug the pitman is on a dead-center, and thus thepawl-carrying member is locked with the pawl engaging the ratchet-disk,as shown in ig. 3. This position allows of the ready rotation of thebrake-operating shaft the same as with the ordinary brake now in use.

When it is desired to release the brake-shaft, the lever 24 is drawnupwardly, throwing the pitman d of dead-center, and the continuedmovement of the lever moves the pawl-carrying member rearwardly,carrying with it the pawl, thus releasing the brake-shaft. The

movement of the pawl carrying member when releasing the brake is in thesame direction as the force of the ratchet-disk is on the pawl, thusmaking the releasing of the brakelever easy. The force of theratchet-disk if strong enough would move the pawl-carrying memberrearwardly after the pitman is thrown off of a dead-center.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. The combination with arotary brakeoperating shaft, a ratchet-disk carried there- "carried bysaid member.

3. The combination with a rotary brakeoperating'shaft, a ratchet-diskcarried thereby, of an intermediately-pivoted pawl-carrying member, anintermediately-pivoted wei hted pawl carried by the upper end of saimember, and means carried by the lower end of the pawl-carrying memberfor operating the same.

4. The combination with a rotary brakeoperating shaft, a ratchet-diskcarried thereby, of an intermediately-pivoted pawl-carrying member, anintermediately-pivoted pawl havin one end weighted and holding the oposite endin engagement with the ratchetd1sk,-a double crank adjacent-toand inaline with the lower end of the pawl-carrying member, and a pitmanconnected to said crankand pawl-carrying member, said pitman being on adead-center when the pawl is engaging the ratchetdisk. I

. The combination with a rotary brakeof engagement with operating shaft,a ratchet-disk carried thereby, of an intermediatelyivoted pawl-carryingmember, an interme 'atelypivoted pawl having one end weighted andholding the opposite end in engagement with the ratchetdisk, a doublecrank adjacent to and inaline with the lower end of the pawl-carryingmember, a pitman connected to said crank and pawl-carrying member, saidpitman being on adead-center when the pawl is engaging the ratchet-disk,an operating-lever carried by the crank in a line therewith, and meansfor limiting the movement of said lever when the pitman is on adead-center.

6. The combination with a rotary brakeoperating shaft, a ratchet-diskcarried there by and having teeth on its lower face, of a frame adjacentto said shaft, apawl-carrying member intermediately pivoted within saidframe, a pawl intermediately pivoted within the upper end of said memberbelow the ratchet-disk, a weight carried by one end of the awl forholding the opposite end upwardly in engagement with theratchet-dis anda wedge-shaped guide carried by the frame and adapted to hold and uidethe pawl tothe ratchet-teeth of the dis 7. The combination with abrake-operating shaft having aratchet, of a movable pawlcarrying member,and a pawl carried by said member and adapted to be moved in or out 'ofengagement with the ratchet-disk.

8. The combination with a brake-operating shaft having a ratchet-disk,of a movable pawl-carrying member, a pawl carried by said member andadapted to be moved in or. out

I the ratchet-disk, a double crank adjacent said movable member, apitman connected to the pawl-carrying member and to'the crank in such amanner that the .pitman is on a dead-center when the pawl is engagingthe ratchet-disk.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name;to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW MILLER.

Witnesses:

A. HECKMAN, SAMUEL J. DE BOLT.

